Health Minister Terry Lake is the second senior cabinet minister in Premier Christy Clark's government to announce he won't be running in the B.C. election next spring.

The B.C. Liberal Party confirmed Thursday that Lake is retiring, joining Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett. Lake was first elected in 2009 and served as environment minister before being appointed to the health ministry.

B.C. Liberal backbenchers who have announced they aren't running again include Comox Valley MLA Don McRae, Vancouver-Langara MLA Moira Stilwell and Peace River North MLA Pat Pimm.

Clark and NDP leader John Horgan have asked all MLAs to make their intentions known by the end of summer so they can prepare their cabinet and critic assignments before the election scheduled for May 9, 2017.

Vicki Huntington, MLA for Delta South, says she won't be running for a third term in this year's provincial election.

Residents of Delta South will be electing a new MLA come May.

Independent MLA Vicki Huntington announced Tuesday that she won't be running in this year's provincial election, scheduled for May 9.

"I know how much we have all believed in the need for a true representative of the people, a representative that speaks on behalf of the people — and the issues — in our riding," she wrote in a letter to supporters.

"This is not an easy time for either me or my wonderful team ... and this is certainly not an easy message for me to give to all of you. But I do know that, together, we have made history in British Columbia."

Huntington was first elected in the 2009 election by just 32 votes over B.C. Liberal cabinet minister Wally Oppal, becoming the first person to be elected as an independent MLA in B.C. since 1949.

She was subsequently re-elected in 2013 by over 2,500 votes, and was respected by members of the legislature by all parties.

The riding includes all parts of Delta outside of North Delta. Prior to Huntington's election, the district had been held by the B.C. Liberals since 1991.

They have already chosen councillor Ian Paton as their nominee in this year's election, while the NDP have yet to select a candidate.

Prior to Huntington's announcement, the Green Party had previously said they wouldn't be running a candidate in the riding because they valued her independence.

SURREY — Veteran Surrey New Democrat MLA Sue Hammell is retiring from public life this spring after serving five terms in office to spend more time with her husband John Pollard, whom she said is "quite ill."

The couple have been married for 37 years.

Hammell, a former cabinet minister, said it's been her "incredible privilege" to serve the constituents of Surrey-Green Timbers over the past 20 years.

"I'm going to miss it," she said. "I love the job."

"However, my husband's recent serious illness means I must devote more time to my family."

Hammell said her job as MLA "is just too big and too consuming" to do both.

She served as executive assistant to former mayor Bob Bose before being first elected as a Surrey NDP MLA in 1991.

Re-elected in 1996, 2005, 2009 and 2013, Hammell served in many roles in both government and opposition, among them minister of housing, recreation and consumer services, minister responsible for co-operatives and the minister of women's equality. She has most recently served as the official opposition critic for mental health and substance abuse.

The NDP will select an MLA candidate for Surrey-Green Timbers at a nomination meeting at the end of January. There are of course no declared nominees yet because Hammell has just announced she won't run.

Meantime, she will finish her term into the May 9 general election and intends to campaign for the NDP.

Hammell said she had been "looking forward to joining BC's next premier, John Horgan, in government."

Horgan, the NDP's leader, said Hammell has proven "tireless in her advocacy for women's rights and B.C.'s families.

"It has been an absolute pleasure to have her on our team," he said. "While I wish she was by my side as we elect a New Democrat government this coming May, family always comes first."

BC Election is a tough one to call;
The Liberals and NDP are basically statistically tied, however if there is any validity to the Greens being in the mid teens they could easily cost the NDP several seats.

BC Election is a tough one to call;
The Liberals and NDP are basically statistically tied, however if there is any validity to the Greens being in the mid teens they could easily cost the NDP several seats.

In that case the Liberals could easily win a majority with 40%

I haven't really been following it that closely , for a government that realistically should be past its best before date the BC liberals are still well positioned going into this election , a few mla's are retiring but nothing drastic and some ndp mla's are leaving to .
the voters don't seem as tired of them as one might expect although there is always a risk of change or voters choosing someone else after being in power for that long . although the last bc ndp government was so horrible people might not have forgot about it

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